The consumption of bushmeat in Central Africa is placing increasing pressure on wildlife
An international study shows that the consumption of wild animal meat in Central Africa rose significantly between 2000 and 2022, reaching over one million tons per year in the world’s second-largest tropical forest region. Whilst this resource remains essential to the food security of rural populations, growing urban demand is placing increased pressure on wildlife. Researchers from Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech (ULiège) contributed to this study by providing field data collected in Central Africa.
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Wild animal meat - commonly known as bushmeat - is a staple food for millions of people in Central Africa. An international study coordinated by the Center for International Forestry Research (CIFOR-ICRAF), to which researchers from Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech contributed, quantifies for the first time, at a regional level, how this consumption has changed over more than two decades. The findings, published in the prestigious scientific journal *Nature*, highlight the need to reduce urban demand to conserve wildlife and ensure long-term rural food security.
Drawing on a compilation of data from thirty published and unpublished studies carried out between 2000 and 2022 in seven Central African countries (Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo and Nigeria), the researchers have compiled the most comprehensive database ever assembled on this subject. It covers more than 12,000 households spread across 252 localities. The analysis shows that the annual biomass of bushmeat consumed in the forested region of Central Africa rose from 0.73 million tons between 2000 and 2010 to 1.10 million tons in 2022, an increase directly linked to population growth, which has doubled in 20 years in the region.
“In rural areas, bushmeat remains a source of protein that is difficult to replace,” explains Simon Lhoest, a bioengineer specializing in forest health and wildlife management at ULiège. “Villagers consume an average of 56 grams per day, which represents around 20 percent of the daily protein intake recommended by the World Health Organization (WHO).” In regions where livestock farming is difficult – particularly due to animal diseases, a lack of fodder and the absence of transport infrastructure – and where alternatives such as seafood or imported products remain largely inaccessible, wild game plays an irreplaceable nutritional role for many communities. Banning its consumption without a credible alternative would jeopardize the food security of already vulnerable populations, a point the study makes clear in response to calls for a total ban following the COVID-19 pandemic.
“The situation is worrying,” the researcher continues. “Whilst residents of large cities consume less bushmeat per person than those in rural areas - 16 grams per day in cities compared with 56 in villages - the concentration of the population in urban centers makes major cities and secondary towns hubs of consumption, the cumulative pressure from which is considerable.” The researchers estimate that towns and cities with more than 10,000 inhabitants account for around 40 percent of the bushmeat harvested in the region, amounting to some 600,000 tons per year! However, in these contexts, consumption stems less from necessity than from cultural reasons or a certain social status, as bushmeat is perceived as healthier than imported meat and is associated with ancestral traditions. It is precisely this demand that conservation policies must prioritize, according to the authors.
Simon Lhoest contributed to this international study by providing field data collected at several sites in Central Africa, as part of research projects led by the Forest Resource Management Research Group at Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech. “This data, incorporated into the shared database, has enabled us to broaden the geographical coverage of the analysis and enhance its statistical robustness.” Gembloux’s participation forms part of a long-term research program focusing on the links between tropical forests, biodiversity and the livelihoods of local communities.
In light of these findings, the scientific team advocates a differentiated approach, maintaining and supporting the legal and sustainable use of wildlife in rural areas, whilst significantly reducing consumption in major urban centers and, at the same time, developing alternative sectors (poultry farming, fishing, and sustainable intensive livestock farming) capable of meeting nutritional needs without compromising biodiversity. The authors point out that these issues are directly in line with the Kunming–Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework and the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, which recognize the need to reconcile wildlife conservation with food security for the most vulnerable communities.
Scientific reference
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